'No Co-op ties' court told

THE man said to have brokered a corrupt deal for a £200m Co-op food supply contract had nothing to do with it, a court was told on Monday. Though a £2.4m fee was paid to his company Trellis International, Dutch-born former banker Ronald Zimet had no connection with the Co-op and did not have talks with Andrew Regan, chief executive of the contract winner, Hobson.

Zimet, a prosecution witness, told Snaresbrook Crown Court he had not heard of the two firms that were each paid £1m to bribe two Co-op managers, but he admitted getting £400,000 in fees. Letters about his part in the deal were 'not true', the jury was told.